I Will Probably Never Get Married Again But I WILL Be Engaged!
Apr 28, 2014
I will probably never get married again... but I will be engaged. Hopefully hundreds, if not thousands of times.
I've seen a lot of entertainers in my lifetime. Both professionals and amateurs. Some were technically better than the others. Among the shows I've seen were an amazing guitarist, a legendary singer/songwriter and a stand-up comic who's a household name. They all had one thing in common: They all sucked.
Oh, they were skilled at what they did. The thing they weren't skilled at was getting the audience to care. Sure, they got our money, but they didn't capture our hearts. It was all about them. They didn't make us care… They weren't ENGAGING.
I'll admit, I haven't seen everyone perform live. But, those I have seen live and would see again had one thing in common (whether they were famous or unknown): They engaged the audience. They made us want to have a beer with them. They made us believe they were our friends (even though we knew they weren't). They made us care.
When I first learned hypnosis, I put off doing a real show. I had seen a few (literally 3 or 4) other "comedy" hypnotists. They all had one thing in common: They all sucked. Oh, they could hypnotize and the volunteers were entertaining. But it was all about them. In fact, a couple of them even had "all about them" stage names: The Incredible Hypnotist Guy, The Hilarious Whatchamacallit, whatever. I don't remember their monikers, because I didn't care. And as far as I could tell, neither did the other people in the audience.
Luckily for me, most performers (some of them my competition, at whatever level) don't know that engagement is an important key to success in show business. When I finally did start doing a stage hypnosis show, I knew (somehow instinctively) that it shouldn't be all about me. I was driving home from Lubbock, TX, listening to lounge music when it hit; instead of being "The Great" or "The Amazing", I would simply be the host. And it's the host's job to engage the guests; to make them feel welcome and at home. Just like the entertainers I admired and respected did. Entertainers like Bruce Springsteen, Weird Al and Steve Martin. Although some may not think they are the best at their craft, in my eyes they excel in engaging their audience. I wanted to, after the show, hang out with all of them. I was engaged.
That's why I hope to be engaged hundreds, if not thousands of times in the future. Personally, I enjoy almost every moment I get to spend with my audiences. In fact sometimes, I wish I could leave the stage join them in the seats, but that would leave the doings un-hosted. And it's my job to host..
Next time you attend a show or happen to be within eye or earshot of live entertainment (famous or not-so-famous); ask yourself "Would I want to experience this entertainer again, and if so, why?" Chances are it's because you felt the entertainer cared, and that it was about you, and your experience, and not just about the entertainer's supposed amazing/astounding/incredibleness. You were engaged. And I hope, whatever your marital situation, you have the opportunity to become engaged again, and again, and again.
Please add your bio info through your member profile page, or through your dashboard.